Wide dynamic range analog to digital conversion method and system

摘要

A method and apparatus well suited for digitizing an audio signal with as wide a dynamic range as possible. An analog dither signal is added to an analog audio or like data signal to provide an analog data/dither signal. This analog data/dither signal and the analog dither signal are both converted into a digital data/dither signal and a digital dither signal respectively, and the digital dither signal is subsequently subtracted from the digital data/dither signal to obtain a digital data signal equivalent to the analog data signal. The magnitude of the incoming analog data signal may be so high that when the analog dither signal is added thereto, the magnitude of the resulting data/dither signal may exceed the capacity of the analog to digital converter in use. In that case the analog dither signal is either gated off or reduced in magnitude, with the result that the analog to digital converter inputs either the data signal only or the data/dither signal having a magnitude not exceeding its capacity.